Closed starter for @dracofalchions
There’s been word of crumbling ruins, remnants of an old town and its gravesite becoming overgrown with strange greenery. Beautiful though its blooms may be, superstition and old maid’s tales have painted it as a beautifully haunting omen for a disaster to come. To that effect, the neighboring villages are too afraid to venture and clear it up, avoiding any and all routes that might cross it, and so have pleaded for aid from every passerby willing to help. As you enter the mouth of the ruins to dispel their needless fears, however, you find that these are no mere ruins. The vines close the entryway from which you came, and, looking ahead, you find that the ruins are, in fact, a huge maze. To make matters worse, the vines that now prevent you from leaving don’t seem to be content to stop there. All around you, the labyrinth shifts and changes; the walls move, the plants snake and snap. You and your companion must hack and cut your way through and find a way out, lest you intend to bury yourselves in a grave that never needs to beg for flowers. [Grants Sword +1]
The purple haired mercenary was not unused to abandoned ruins. They’d served as a shelter for many a night’s camping on the road when the comfort of an inn was too much for his dwindling (or non existent) wealth.
It was in a similar vain, Shez found himself setting down his bedroll in the crumbling, overgrown ruins as the daylight faded. He’d been travelling in the area, on break from the Academy before the new term, and despite being aware of the nearby village, he’d rather save his coin for when it was needed. It didn’t take him long to get a small fire going in the remains of an abandoned cottage, the night pressing in on the walls.
Having eaten some food, Shez was starting to feel sleepy. He was curious about his current location as it hadn’t been marked on the map of the area he’d picked up in the last village. It had been a bit of a surprise to run into it but given the sheer amount of vines covering the place, the Mercenary assumed it could simply have been overlooked. Perhaps he would take a look around in the morning before he left, see if there were anything of interest (treasure) to find.
His eyes were just closing when a rustling sound reached his ears. Jerking wide awake agin, senses on high alert. Was there someone else here? Or some monster prowling the area? Grabbing his blade, Shez crept to the door of the cottage and peered round the entrance. In the centre of the ruins, by the old well, he could just make out a mop of green hair. A person…
Moving in closer to get a better look, Shez realised he recognised the person. It was another student from his house. What was his name again?
he would have mistaken them for ordinary ruins of some village or small town left behind by its former residents. they abandoned it for wildlife & nature to eventually take over in the following years, if not decades, that came after. vines climb the crumbling walls / the moss finds a home upon the stone of old foundations. the sight alone isn’t unsettling. it shouldn’t be when alm has already stepped foot in places where ordinary travelers wouldn’t venture.
but something is wrong. alm hears no birdsong, not under daylight or as dusk settles upon the land and the heavens above him darken. & as the youth turns around to trace his steps in hopes of returning the way he came, he finds his path blocked by the greenery. alm would swear nothing barred his way a few seconds ago! he would even start to believe he’s losing it.
or could the superstitions surrounding these ruins carry some truth to them, after all?
the latter becomes more & more evident when his very surroundings begin to change. the valentian king can’t claim his eyes to be playing tricks on him when he watches the wall of this maze move. and soon afterward, something lunges at him. by reflex or luck or maybe a little bit of both, alm unsheathes the royal sword in time to block——
to block a vine. alm blinks, dumbfounded, as the vine retreats into the hedge & vanishes from his line of sight. the green-haired king stands there for several seconds before his mind finally catches up.
alm doesn’t stick around to wonder what in the world just transpired.
the sound of hurried footsteps precedes alm’s arrival into what he assumes to be the center of this undeniably accursed maze. not before his shoulder briefly brushes against the hedge, the youth jerking away only a split second later. he needs to be careful. more of those vines could dart at him any second now——
it takes alm only a brief moment to recognize the purple-haired man.
he could ask what brings his fellow student to these ruins. & yet, alm doesn’t; he decides such questions can wait for a much better time. instead, the valentian king rushes toward him, a sense of urgency behind each step he takes. all he knows is that he has to warn shez! “c’mon, you can’t stay here! there’s—”
another vine whips straight out of the darkness.
